Between the Shadow and the Soul
by coveredinthecolors
Summary: When Caroline's friends are taken from her, she sees no other option but to ask for the help of a demon. Knowing that the price he'd demand would be too high, she ensures she has the upper hand when negotiations begin, but even so, Klaus still might be more than she ever bargained for.
1. Prologue

**This was written for cupcakemolotov for the Klaroline Vacay Gift Exchange.**

 **Thanks Angie for beta work.**

* * *

"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,  
in secret, between the shadow and the soul."

Sonnet XVII - Pablo Neruda

* * *

Caroline Forbes revised the plan in her head for the umpteenth time as she waited for the full moon to reach its apex. She knew the spell by heart, had foreseen different outcomes for each step of the plan, had prepared herself for every one of them… And had memorized every possible escape route.

Everything had been detailed and thought of thoroughly, all the planning carefully put into paper (with colour coded precision and a neat handwriting) before it was put into action tonight.

And yet, her hands trembled as she lit on the match, as she set each of the five candles that formed the pentagram alight. The voice in the back of her mind wouldn't stop telling her that there was still time to give up on this idea – probably less of an idea, and more of a death wish.

But she had to remind herself of what was at stake: Elena, locked up in a tower like a cursed princess at the beginning of a fairytale, sheltered from her own life by the Salvatore brothers, her supposed knights-in-shining-armour. Bonnie, taken away from her in such ways that no spell would tell her if she was even still alive.

Her friend's doppelganger blood had always attracted trouble, and after a coven had tried to sacrifice Elena in some power ritual, Damon and Stefan had allowed their concern over her safety turn into paranoia. They kept her away from all, not letting her go out or anyone visit.

So Bonnie and her decided that enough was enough. They'd tried to free Elena… The Salvatores weren't happy about that, so they took Bonnie, casted spells over her so that she couldn't be tracked and reinforced the security in their house so no one could get in or out.

Caroline still wasn't sure if this was a rescue mission or pure old-fashioned revenge, but she was the only one of them who was still free. And she'd fight with everything she had and was to destroy the people who had hurt her friends.

The Salvatores hadn't thought her capable of causing real trouble without Bonnie, she hadn't been worthy of the time it'd take to take care of her as well. And, yes, perhaps the Forbes line wasn't as powerful as the Bennett or the Salvatore one, but let it never be said that she wasn't resourceful or that she wouldn't do everything for those she considered hers.

They would rue the day they had underestimated her.

That thought gave her enough courage to start chanting, the Latin words spilling from her mouth as moonlight bathed her. The wind ruffled her golden hair, danced with the edge of her white dress.

Her hands were still and her gaze filled with determination when she dragged a knife across her left palm, closing her hand into a fist to let the blood drop on the grass by her barefeet.

The flames of the candle grew higher with each word she said, the atmosphere around her getting hotter, filled with energy and the increasing smell of sulphur.

And then, in the blink of an eye, a man appeared in front of her – _no, not a man_ , she corrected herself.

"Hello, love."

She hadn't expected him to look good, but he did. His dark blond curls, full lips and face shadowed by stubble were charming, the way his dark Henley clung to his lean body was enticing. But his eyes… There was something vicious about his cold blue eyes. They wouldn't let her forget what he truly was. A demon.

Caroline raised her chin and rolled her shoulders back.

She wondered if 'charming' would still be a word she could use to describe him after she told him she hadn't only summoned him. She had bound him to her, made him her prisoner.

Perhaps she should feel guilty, but his kind was known for their treachery. She was just playing his own game, getting some leverage for when negotiations began.

One shouldn't play with the devil without a card up their sleeves, after all.


	2. I get caught up just for a minute

_"A rush at the beginning,_  
 _I get caught up just for a minute_  
 _But lover, you're the one to blame, all that you're doing_  
 _Can you hear the violence?"_

 _The Louvre - Lorde_

* * *

One year later

 _The feel of his hands on her skin was driving her crazy._

 _He dragged his palms up her abdomen as if he could afford taking all the time in the world just to touch her, to tease her. It was the sweetest kind of torture – even if he was never kind, even if he had her begging long before he gave her any release._

 _His eyes darkened when she let out a breathy moan as he finally reached her breasts, squeezing them in a possessive grip. His thumb flicked over one of her nipples, pebbled and sensitive and aching for some attention. He smirked as her eyelids fluttered._

" _Tell me what you want, love," he said and leaned in to press a soft, almost tender, kiss to her jaw. "Let me know how to pleasure you."_

 _He loved to have her talking, loved coaxing every single fantasy that'd ever crossed her mind from her pretty lips. The promise of being rewarded if she shared her sinful thoughts lingered in the air, but that would only mean giving him ammunition – he'd end up using her confessions against her sooner or later, so she'd resist for as long as she could._

 _His lips curved in amusement as she remained quiet. He liked her stubbornness, liked that little battle playing between them. It only made his victory all the more satisfying._

" _Come on, Caroline," he probed, letting his fingers trail down the side of her body teasingly, sprawling his hand across her thigh when he reached it. "Don't be shy."_

 _She felt her skin burning beneath his touch, yearning for more as her cells were set ablaze, but she couldn't give in just yet. Even if she knew that she wouldn't last long when his attack gained strength. Her defences had always been weak when it came to him. A mistake, no doubt, but she couldn't think about it now. Not when she was naked underneath him, her mind becoming hazy because of his scent, his voice, his hands._

 _He pinched one of her nipples at the same time he urged her to spread her legs for him, to give him access to where she wanted him most. Her pussy was aching and dripping for him and he knew it, knew that he could use her need for him as a way to get what he wanted._

" _Why do you always have to be so stubborn, sweetheart?" he asked, faking annoyance even when his eyes told her he was delighted, especially when his fingers found the wetness coating her inner thighs, following its trail to tease her folds. "I will give you anything you want… But first I need to know what you want. Tell me all the filthy scenarios you've thought of in your pretty mind, tell me what you've been dreaming I would do to you."_

 _She nearly smiled at the opening he gave her, even if she whimpered when his thumb brushed against her clit. He was always good at not giving her any room to exploit his weaknesses when they were in bed, but she knew that now she could play with him just like he did with her – "Who said I dream about you?"_

 _These words had the effect she'd expected: Klaus growled, his eyes flashing yellow for just a second before his lips were crashing against hers in a demanding kiss at the same time he slipped two fingers inside her without warning, making her gasp against his mouth, punishing her with his rough rhythm._

" _Is that so?" he asked, breaking away from her mouth only for his lips to attack her neck. "Do you dream of other men in your bed, little witch? Do you think they'd be able to please you the way that I do?"_

 _She didn't answer. His thumb had found her clit again, rubbing against it, and she was so close to coming… His fingers were curling inside her, brushing against her walls, making everything feel so sensitive and perfect that she felt like she was going to burst…_

 _Then he stopped moving. Her hips immediately bucked in protest, but he stilled them with his free hand. He pulled back to look into her eyes and said, "I think you're lying."_

" _Am I?" she challenged._

 _His eyes turned yellow again as he bared his teeth to her. "Don't play with me, Caroline," he warned._

 _So possessive, she thought, her lips curving even as she tried to keep a straight face. "Then show me why I shouldn't want anyone else in my bed."_

 _He hesitated for a second and she was almost sure that he'd go back to his original plan of having her beg when his fingers began to move inside of her, not as roughly as it had just moments ago, but still fast and perfect, his thumb circling her clit more teasingly as his lips closed around her nipple, sucking at the sensitive bud, teasing her with his teeth._

 _She closed her eyes, her hand gripping his hair as she urged him not to stop what he was doing. This was what victory felt like._

 _Her hips were meeting each thrust of his fingers and she couldn't help but moan for him, whisper his name as she felt her muscles begin to tighten. She was so close, just needing another flick of his thumb against her clit and-_

Her alarm clock blasted through her ears, causing her to jolt awake.

Caroline looked around, confused for a moment as to where was Klaus and why wasn't he making her come in that exact second. But her alarm clock kept sounding and she glanced at it with annoyance as she realized it'd been nothing but a dream.

She turned the damn thing off, slumping against her pillows feeling completely frustrated.

Her muscles were still tight and her skin feverish, her sweat making her hair stick to her face, her tank top and boy shorts leaving her uncomfortably hot.

Caroline bit her lower lip, looking at the clock again. 7am… Klaus would be there soon and she knew he wouldn't object to taking care of her needs. It was tempting, letting him have her. Especially when she wanted to test the theory her subconscious had come up with: would playing with his possessive tendencies let her actually win for once? She wanted to know.

But she couldn't. Not when the price to pay was too dire, not when she'd already let him take more of her than she should have.

She sighed, rolling in bed to reach her bedside table drawer, getting her vibrator inside it. It would be a poor substitute, but it was better than still being wound up when he got there.

Caroline quickly got rid of her boy shorts, letting her fingers trail up her inner thighs as she teased herself. She was still wet, still yearning for release, but she thrust her fingers inside her a few times, stretching her walls before she put her toy inside of her. She gasped as it filled her, her eyes rolling to back of her head as a wave of pleasure crashed over her. She was still so close.

She yanked down her tank top to expose her breasts, palming and squeezing them. Her soft hands didn't feel nearly as good as he calloused palms would, but she would take what she could get.

She closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like if he walked in just know, if he saw her fucking herself with a toy, wishing it was his cock. She could picture the look on his face, how his eyes would darken as he watched her, could picture him coming closer to her, whispering such sinful things in her ears.

"You look so beautiful, sweetheart," she imagined him saying, his voice making a shiver run down her spine. "Just desperately fucking yourself with that toy. Are you imagining that it's my cock instead? Do you wish that it was me fucking you like that?" he'd ask, and she'd nod unashamedly, wanting him to keep talking. "You make such lovely noises for me… I want to see your face when you fall apart. Come for me, Caroline."

She did. Her orgasm crashing through her fast, electrifying her body as it relaxed all of her muscles at once, her breathing became shallow, but she still found it in her to whisper his name to her empty room. (in her mind, he was looking extremely pleased as he watched her climax, smirking when he heard his name fall from her lips.)

Caroline lay there, waiting for her breathing return to normal, trying not to feel too disappointed that he hadn't showed up in time to see her like that.

Shaking off those thoughts, she decided to take a shower.

* * *

Klaus was there when she emerged from the bathroom, lying on her bed with his hands behind his head like he owned it. "Hello, love," he greeted with a smirk on his face as he looked at her up and down, enjoying how her body was only covered by a towel. "It seems like you've had quite the busy morning already. It's a pity I didn't get here in time."

She scoffed, mentally cursing herself for not having had the time to change the sheets before he arrived, knowing that he'd most likely picked on the scent of her release still lingering on it.

"Well, you wouldn't have been invited to join me anyway," she lied, turning around to pick some clothes and asking before he had the chance to reply, "Are we going anywhere today?"

"Yes. I have business to attend in Seattle."

Caroline nodded, walking towards her bedside table to get her phone (doing her best to ignore the way he was looking at her as she approached and the effects it had on her), quickly opening the weather app to check how Seattle would be that day. She sighed as she found out that, unsurprisingly, it would be raining.

Klaus looked at her amusedly, and said as if he could read her thoughts, "I can always take you somewhere warmer later if you'd like."

"At what price?" she asked, raising her brows at him.

He smiled. She was smart and he enjoyed that a little too much. "I'm sure we could come up with something."

"Sorry, buddy. I don't plan on making any deals with the devil today."

The demon chuckled at her words, but still gave her a suggestive look as he said, "It's a pity. I'm sure we could have found something that was… entertaining for the both of us."

Caroline simply rolled her eyes, not dignifying what he'd said with an answer. She turned on her heels and went to get her clothes, disappearing into the bathroom a moment later.

She got dressed as quickly as she could, knowing that Klaus was not a patient man and she'd like to at least drink coffee before they went on their merry way. Most likely to torture or murder someone who had failed to meet their end of a bargain with him.

Her mother had always warned her to stay away from his kind. Caroline briefly wondered what Liz Forbes would think of her now, what she would say if she knew her daughter was choosing to wear those tight jeans just because she enjoyed the way the demon would look at her, the way his eyes would glaze.

It was hard having him near all the time and constantly having to fight down the urges that threatened to overcome her whenever he was around.

Klaus wasn't just a regular demon, but an incubus. Everything about him was made to tempt her – from the aura of energy that came from him to the curl of his lips and his mischievous eyes – and the only things that kept her from him were two very feeble things: her self-control and trusting that he wouldn't seduce her.

On most days, it felt like they were walking on a tightrope with very precarious balance. Caroline figured she should probably be more scared of falling.

She sighed, bracing herself for what was no doubt going to be another day of playing dangerous game, and she finally allowed herself to leave the bathroom.

He wasn't laying on her bed any longer, a small blessing, so she walked towards the kitchen, her phone in hand to text Bonnie some lie about what she'd be doing for the day and why she'd be unreachable. Her friend didn't have to know the price Caroline had paid for her freedom.

She found him sitting on a chair, his feet crossed at the ankle and resting on top of her table. Klaus had this tendency of thinking he owned everything and everyone that she found highly annoying, so, with a twist of her hand, she moved the table just a few inches to the left, making his feet go plummeting towards the ground, though he managed to recompose himself far too quickly for her to truly enjoy. The irritation in his gaze would be her only source of entertainment.

"One would think that you'd be in a better mood after your activities this morning. Unless, of course, your toys aren't quite doing it for you anymore, sweetheart. In that case, I'd be more than willing to help."

Caroline rolled her eyes. He liked to push her, to see what words would make her blush for him. But she'd spent far too long in his company to be embarrassed of talking about sex, so she simply shrugged. "Or perhaps I am annoyed because there's a demon in my house. A demon that will take me to the other side of the country when I was hoping for a quiet day… I have classes tomorrow!"

She had turned her back to him to prepare her coffee, but she didn't have to see him to know that he was smiling. "That has never stopped you before."

It truly hadn't.

When they'd figured out the consequences of being bound and spending too long apart, she'd started going away with him on his "business trips". It had taken awhile to grow used to his methods when his clients weren't keeping their end of the deal, but she'd immediately fallen in love with how they could be at any place in the world in a matter of seconds, her wanderlust finally being satisfied.

"You know, after a year, I figured you'd have learned that annoying pre-coffee me isn't a great idea. In fact, talking to pre-coffee me is a very bad plan."

Klaus chuckled, "Very well, love. I'll wait silently. But we are leaving in five minutes, whether you've finished your coffee or not."

Caroline huffed in way of acknowledging his words, keeping her back to him as she waited for her coffee to be ready, but sitting across from him when she finally had her mug in hands.

"Won't you offer coffee to your guest? Where are your manners?" he teased, assuming that since she'd started sipping from her coffee, then he was already allowed to talk.

She glared at him. "You're not a guest, Klaus. You're basically an intruder."

"Hardly," he protested. "You did very forcibly invite me into your life, didn't you?"

"Yes," she relented, "but if everything goes according to plan, soon you will be uninvited. And we can part ways for good."

Caroline knew she was most likely wrong, but she could swear that she saw a flash of hurt across his face, though it was gone as quickly as it came. The energy in the room grew tenser as he gave her a bitter smile.

"Ah, yes. How is the plan to unbinding us? I haven't heard much from it in a while." His voice was colder than it'd been just moments ago.

She wasn't unused to his mood swings, but this felt different. More loaded. She knew she should tread carefully. "I've been stuck for a while, I know, but I think I'm getting somewhere… I just need more time."

It wasn't entirely true. She had a few leads, but something was holding her back. She was never truly focused on her research and didn't apply herself as much as she should, always lying to herself and saying that she had other things to do.

Klaus only nodded, but he squinted his eyes, looking at her as if he could see that she wasn't trying her hardest. Then he smiled and got up to his feet.

"Your five minutes are up. We need to go."

Caroline looked at her still half-full mug and then back at him. She wasn't caffeinated enough to deal with his moods.

* * *

" _So, this is it," Caroline said a bit nervously, pulling at her long sleeves as she avoided looking directly at him._

 _However, his gaze was solely fixed on her. She couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't worried about her after everything that'd happened._

" _This is it," he confirmed. "You say the words and set me free."_

 _She nodded, but didn't start chanting as he'd expected. Instead, she said, "There's something I need to talk to you first, I think."_

 _Klaus raised his brows, slightly surprised. "And what would that be, sweetheart?"_

" _Well, I, uh, need to have guarantees," she explained. Her eyes finally met his for the first time that day as she forced herself to stand a little taller, her chin raised. "I need to know that you won't harm me or my friends after I free you."_

 _He was taken aback by that, she could tell. And she knew why. She didn't really think that he would hurt her, not after how he'd reacted when she'd been harmed. Not after everything they'd done. But everyone always told her not to trust a demon and she couldn't take any chances now._

" _I will not hurt you, Caroline. You have my word."_

 _Somehow, that was enough for her. They'd spent nearly two months together. He'd helped her and he'd made her laugh and he'd made her believe in herself when she thought all was lost. In some weird way, she knew that she could trust him when he gave her his word. She was absolutely certain that he'd never do anything to cause her harm, that he'd even take measures to protect her – she still hadn't had the heart to ask what he'd done with the Salvatores and she wasn't sure she wanted to know._

 _But his word shouldn't be enough, so she pressed, "I want to make a bargain."_

 _His eyes lit with interest at her words, even if she suspected he'd been offended by how she didn't believe in him. "A bargain?"_

" _Yes. You will not harm me or my friends after I free you and in return… I'll give you something you want."_

 _Caroline grimaced at the position she put herself in. She'd prefer having something to offer him instead of giving him the chance to ask for anything he wanted, but she hadn't been able to think of something that would entice him enough to take the deal._

 _Klaus smiled. There were so many ways he could twist this so that he'd get the better end of that bargain. Especially considering that he truly had no intentions of hurting her and he didn't care enough about her friends to harm them either._

" _Dangerous words, Caroline," he taunted._

 _She huffed, "Just tell me something you want."_

 _He was tempted to say 'you', to say that he wanted her naked underneath him again, his name on her lips like the softest prayer. He wanted to feel again that little piece of her soul feeding him, giving him its energy, its power. He wanted to eat her whole, until all of her belonged to him._

 _But she'd say no to that. So he opted for something else. Something simple, but that would help him confirm his suspicions… Then he would plan his attack._

" _I want to see the spell you used to bind me to you."_

 _It was her time to be surprised. He'd asked her many times to see the spell, but she'd denied, figuring he was only trying to find more about it so that he could break it. She didn't think he'd be interested in it anymore._

 _Caroline nodded easily. "I'll get the grimoire for you. So we have a deal?"_

" _Yes. I will not harm you or your friends, unless provoked, and you will allow me to see the spell you used on me."_

" _Unless attacked," she corrected him. 'Provoked' was too loose a term to be used with Klaus… He was known to lose his temper for the smallest of crimes._

 _He smiled. That was his Caroline._

" _Unless attacked," he agreed. "It's a deal."_

 _They both felt the magic behind his words, sealing their little contract._

 _She went to her bookcase, grabbing a seemingly random book before she passed her hand across the cover, then it became just like an old grimoire._ Effective _, he thought as she handed it to him._

 _Klaus carefully kept his face void of emotions as he read the spell, even if he felt like grinning at her. He wasn't willing to let Caroline Forbes go just yet and now he knew he wasn't going anywhere. Not when she'd used that spell specially crafted by his mother._

 _He didn't say a thing as he gave her back the grimoire, didn't interrupt her when she started chanting the words she believed would free him. He would leave his ingenious girl figure this one out by herself. In the meantime, he'd crawl under her skin and take up residence there, without her thinking that he was with her because of an obligation._

" _So I guess we're done," she said awkwardly when the spell had ended, the flames of the candles around them dying down._

 _He didn't agree, so he simply took a step closer to her so that he could take her hand in his, bringing it to his lips so that he could kiss her knuckles. "I'll see you around, Caroline."_

 _By her sharp intake of breath and glint of hope in her eyes, Klaus suspected that she wasn't ready to let him go either._

* * *

There was always a certain thrill to their little missions and she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy them.

Perhaps it was the adrenaline that ran through her veins, that made her heart beat faster as she tried to anticipate any possible danger. Perhaps it was the look on Klaus's clients when they saw that he'd found them, the terror that took over their faces before they started pleading for him to be merciful.

And perhaps it was Klaus himself. The villainous mask he wore, how he became the cold calculating demon with no trace of the man she'd come to know… It was interesting to watch him like that. And there was the matter of how he'd react if anyone dared threaten her, if his clients even looked at her the wrong way.

She'd never wanted or needed a knight-in-shining-armour. She was by no means a damsel in distress, and he was well aware that she could handle herself. However, there was something about how protective he was, how it seemed like he would do anything to keep her out of harm's way… Caroline enjoyed feeling wanted, feeling safe with him. She enjoyed how it felt like he cared.

And this time, it was no different.

They appeared in dark alley. His arms were wrapped around her waist from how he had secured her during their trip, her head was buried in his chest and her hands gripping tightly onto his shoulders as she fought off the nausea that always accompanied portal travelling. Annoying, but a small price to pay, in her opinion.

Klaus allowed her to stay like that for a while, caressing her hair as he waited for her dizziness to stop. He didn't think he'd ever grow tired of having her pressed against him, of inhaling the scent of her hair as she took comfort from him.

Caroline felt her discomfort slip away as she became more aware of how close they were, of his thumb drawing circles on her back through her blouse and of how good he smelled. The thin drizzle was making her shiver and she moved closer to him, enjoy his heat as his arm tightened its grip around her. If she tilted her head up just slightly, her lips would be touching his neck… She could kiss him there, scrape her teeth across his skin before she bit him. She could lick her way up the hollow of his throat, kiss his jaw and then find his lips. He would let her. He would want her to. But she couldn't.

"I'm good," she said after a few moments and he forced himself to unwrap his arms from around her, taking a step back to give her some space. His eyes told her that he hadn't wanted to let her go. Her eyes told him that she wanted him to fuck her against that wall. None of them moved.

Caroline had never dwelled well with awkward silences, so she forced a cheerful grin to her face. "So, what horrible crime has your client committed?"

"He asked me to get rid of someone for him and, in return, all I asked for was that he gave me an artifact that happened to be in his possession. Instead, he chose to hide away and hope that I wouldn't find him," he explained.

"So he must have taken some anti-demons precautions."

He nodded, "I didn't bring you here for the amazing company."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, you love my company. You wouldn't have brought me if you didn't."

He didn't really need her. Whatever spells his client had used to keep demons away, Klaus was powerful enough that he'd be able to get past them. She'd just speed the process a little since a witch could easily break them.

"I think it has more to do with the fact that you made it impossible for us to spend more than three days apart, sweetheart, and we've been pushing it since you've been busy with your education. I needed to solve this as quickly as possible and I needed not to be in excruciating pain… So here we are."

Caroline shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure it's just because of my incredible personality. And because you've missed me terribly these past few days."

He didn't respond as he urged her to start walking. She figured it was because she was right and grinned all the way to the house where his client was hiding.

The curtains were all close, no car in the garage and the lawn in the front yard had grown too much. It felt like the place had been abandoned, but she could feel the energy of spells there.

Klaus motioned for her to go on and she approached the front door, placing her hands on it as she began to focus. They'd been right. There was a spell that wouldn't allow a demon to get in, but it hadn't been made to fight a witch's power. It took her less than a minute to break it.

She waited for the guilt of betraying her kind in favour of a demon to settle in her stomach, but it never did.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Klaus said quietly before opening the door and walking inside first.

All the lights were off like in a creepy horror movie and everything was quiet… She tried to stay alert, ready to defend them from any possible attack. This was always the worst part, knowing that something was about to happen, but not knowing when or where or how.

Their steps were silent as they ventured into the house, trying to keep their presence a secret for a little longer. Klaus gestured for her to follow him. He wasn't very fond of letting her go on a separate way, even if they'd cover more ground.

The house was dark even during the day, the clouded sky not offering much sunlight to battle the curtains at the windows, but Caroline could see that the place was rather dirty and uncared for. And the more they ventured inside, the more she could sense magic everywhere, no doubt from the artifacts Klaus was interested in.

Klaus stopped in front of a staircase, glancing back at her with a smile before he took the first step. It meant he'd sensed someone's presence upstairs, but it didn't make her relax and when she felt something brush against her leg, she let out a loud yelp.

The demon looked at her, clearly concerned before he saw what had afflicted her. It was only a rat.

"Who's there?" a frightened voice came from upstairs and Klaus gave her an annoyed look. He'd hoped to surprise his old client and end this quickly without any form of resistance.

Caroline heard the steps of the stairs creak as a man began to come down. He was maybe forty, hair beginning to thin and he looked absolutely terrified. "No!"

Klaus's acid laugh made a shiver run down her spine. That was the cruel laughter he had used when Elena had refused to come with them, defending the Salvatore brothers despite everything they'd done, despite the fact that Bonnie still had nightmares about her days as their prisoner, despite the price Caroline had paid.

She remembered how it'd made her angry with him and it had the same effects on that man. But anger and fear didn't mix well together, and he impulsively attacked; he threw something in their direction and sped upstairs. Klaus followed him.

He didn't aim well, and Caroline easily dodged what seemed to be a small bottle. She heard glass breaking behind her and she looked back to see mist coming from the where the shards of glass laid on the floor. Without thinking, she reached out to it.

A small sound of pain escaped from her lips when the mist touched her fingers. She pulled back to see her hand covered in blisters, her skin turning unnaturally red. She ran upstairs before whatever that was came to touch with more of her skin, ignoring the pain and the tears in her eyes as she listened closely to find Klaus and his former client.

"Please," the man was saying. "We'll make another deal! You spare my life and I'll give you whatever you want! Please!"

The demon looked extremely satisfied and she instantly knew that had been the outcome he'd been seeking all along.

He turned his back to the frightened man, probably to leave the poor guy wondering if he would leave that place with his life… Klaus always enjoyed playing with his victims.

It was then that his eyes met hers, that he saw the tears and pained expression. He quickly scanned her from injuries, his gaze stopping on her hand.

All satisfaction slipped from his face until there was only anger left.

Klaus walked closer to her, gently taking her hand on his. She did her best not to wince at the contact, but he seemed to notice her discomfort anyway, his eyes turning yellow.

"Please. I'll do anything!" the man repeated, clearly not realising that he should've kept his mouth shut. Caroline almost felt bad for him when she heard his neck break, his lifeless body hitting the ground a second later.

He had never paid his debt. His soul now belonged to Klaus and she was well aware that he wasn't going to be merciful to the man.

But his eyes were still focused on her injury and she felt her body suddenly begin to heat, the warmth coming from the place he was touching her. Then the blisters began to disappear, her skin became pale again.

"Thanks," she said softly, flexing her fingers as if to test them.

He didn't reply, his face still guarded and his shoulders tense as he pulled her to him, creating a portal to take her home.

She didn't feel nauseous this time, since his magic was still working on her, but he held her close regardless. "I shouldn't have taken you," he said, and she knew that this was he trying to apologize.

"I'm fine," Caroline assured him, trying to pull back to look at him.

Klaus reluctantly gave her a bit of space, though his arms were still tightly wrapped around her, their heads still far too close. She could feel his breathing caressing her lips, their noses almost touching… But not even the close distance helped her read all the emotions that she could see in his eyes.

He took advantage of how she wasn't able to gauge his reaction and kissed her.

She kissed him back.

And if she could, she'd stay forever just like that, frozen in that moment when everything felt perfect and not even her lungs were protesting for air as his soft lips moved against hers. But a kiss was just a prologue, and the story that followed it would have a dreadful ending.

"The deal," she reminded him, taking a step back, but he followed her until she was pressed against the wall, his hands landing on her hips as she placed hers on his chest. She wasn't sure she wanted to push him away.

"I don't care," he whispered against her lips, claiming her mouth again, needing to taste her. Needing to have her.

She could lose herself in this, could lose herself in him. But she wouldn't.

"You promised," Caroline tried again. This time the words seemed to affect him and he pulled back. She saw the irritation and confusion in his eyes.

His promise… The deal.

It was their little rule. Their only rule. It was simple: he would never be the one to initiate sex with her, but he would not bring himself to stop her if she started it.

"Ah, yes. My promise," he said bitterly, taking a step back. She immediately missed his body covering hers. "Very well, I'll leave, then."

"Klaus, I-"

He didn't stay to listen to what she had to say.

It was only later she realized he hadn't asked for anything in return for healing her.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	3. but I'd be yours if you'd be mine

_"In the middle of the night, I may watch you go_  
 _There'll be no value in the strength of walls that I have grown_  
 _There'll be no comfort in the shade of the shadows thrown_  
 _But I'd be yours, if you'd be mine"_

Love of the Light - Mumford & Sons

* * *

 _Thinking that he was her friend had been her first mistake._

 _But it'd become harder and harder to keep her guard up all the time. It was exhausting and, no matter how hard she tried, Klaus simply excelled at tearing down every wall she built._

 _Every day they spent planning an attack and laughing at his stories about his past. Every night filled with so much coffee that he'd eventually look at her with concern and tell her to go to sleep, that they could continue next morning… She'd warmed up to him._

 _It was easy to like him once she got past his annoying arrogance. It was easy not to overthink the warmth that spread through her when their fingers accidentally brushed, when her thigh touched his when they sat too close to each other on the couch._

 _And when the touches became more deliberate, she didn't stop them. She allowed herself to enjoy how he touched her arm to get her attention, how he placed his hand on her knee to comfort her when it all became too much._

 _Then there'd been that kiss on the cheek. So innocent and chaste, except it felt like anything but._

 _It'd become a daily thing. Whenever he left, he'd press his lips against her cheek and she'd pretend she didn't notice how they got progressively closer to her mouth. She also pretended that she didn't think much of the feel of his hand on her waist or how he'd affectionately squeeze her hip._

 _Then one night they traded coffee for wine and her lips had met his of her own volition, she had tugged at his curls as he pressed her against a wall because she wanted to. Later she'd pretended to feel guilty and he'd pretended to believe her when she told him that would never happen again._

 _She wondered how many opportunities she'd had to stop all this before she was in too deep, but she couldn't bring herself to care when he started hugging her from behind, whispering in her ear all the things he wanted to do to her just before he walked away, leaving her hot and bothered… He never pretended not to hear his name falling from her lips when she touched herself, though she pretended she hadn't meant for him to listen._

 _And then came the night before they attacked the Salvatores, when she was nervous and he was confident as always, and he grew tired of watching her pace around the room and pulled her to him, so she'd fall on his lap._

 _She had faked annoyance and huffed as he'd laughed and teased her, but had only felt her cheeks heat when his voice grew serious and he told her his plan would work, when he called her brilliant and beautiful and strong. Then she had kissed him. Again._

 _Later, Caroline would tell herself that she'd needed someone and he'd been there, but deep down she knew that she'd needed him, wanted him. She had known exactly what she was doing when she'd wrapped her legs around his waist, when she didn't protest as he lifted her up, his hands caressing the back of her thighs as he moved them to her bed._

 _She couldn't get enough of him, of the feel of his palms on her skin, of his mouth teasing her everywhere. Ghost hands - product of his magic - helped him get rid of her clothes as she stumbled with the button of his pants, as she removed his shirt, touching his chest, his abdomen. She wanted to feel him completely._

 _He had other plans, of course, and she couldn't say that she'd been surprised by his authoritative voice as he told her to keep her palms pressed to the mattress, but she hadn't anticipated how much she would enjoy it._

 _Klaus rewarded her for following his rules_ _(later she would find out that he always did, but that breaking them could be fun too),_ _kissing every inch of her body, taking his sweet time as he gauged her reactions to every little thing he did._

 _He looked at her with such satisfaction and pride when his tongue made her toes curl, when his fingers made her moan his name. But the memory he would treasure the most would always be the moment his cock filled her, how she gasped, how she forgot his order and brought her hands to grasp at his shoulders, her fingernails digging into his flesh, but more importantly: how she let go of everything, how her eyes were open and unguarded. There were no walls or armours that night._

 _And when she came, his name falling from her pretty lips, he instantly grew addicted to watching her fall apart. He wanted nothing more than to have her naked and writhing underneath him time and time again._

 _Caroline noticed the adoration in his eyes, how attentively he watched her as if mesmerized by her. And after everything they'd done, it'd been that what made her blush._

 _But then he came, too, his voice hoarse, but firm as he whispered, "Mine."_

 _Reality crashed over her like a bucket of cold water and it was almost comical how just that simple word affected her so. How it made the weight of his body on top of hers so unwelcome, how it had her sitting on the edge of the bed the moment he had tried to pull her against him._

 _Mine, he had said, because he'd taken something from her- no. That wasn't right, she thought, it was worse than that._

 _She had given something to him._

* * *

Caroline wasn't surprised when Klaus didn't show up that morning, but she'd hoped it'd hurt less than it did.

She had rejected him many times, had started things and stopped them before they went too far, but he had never been hurt by any of that. She couldn't understand why this had changed now.

And yesterday… He hadn't respected their deal.

It wasn't really one of his bargains, there was no magic involved in it. It was just their words and she had always thought that to be enough, but apparently she'd been wrong.

Never trust a demon, everyone always said… It'd been stupid of her to ignore it. It'd been stupid of her to believe that he was different, that his smiles and warm gazes had been anything other than a ploy to get what he truly wanted.

Klaus had once confessed to her how much he enjoyed feeding from her soul, being the new owner of that little part of her. But he had said that while drawing circles on the inside of her wrist and with something that resembled affection in his eyes… She had focused on that instead of thinking about the danger of his words.

It was so ridiculous of her to even care, but she wanted more than anything to believe that the man she thought he was really existed. The one who could rile her up or calm her down with just a few words, who would challenge her and push her to her limit and then offer her the proudest smile when she'd break through and achieve more than she'd ever thought herself to be capable of.

The one who looked at her like he could love her, like she was enough.

He had driven her crazy from their very first meeting. Granted, perhaps she'd been on the wrong for binding him to her, forcing him to stay by her side until he helped her get her friends back, but facing the Salvatores was a risky move and the price any demon would ask would be too high.

So he had threatened and scared her, but as she explained her reasons, as her head remained raised high despite her fear, she saw a little of respect mixed with the anger in his eyes. Loyalty was something that he could understand.

It'd still taken days and many aneurysms for him to stop acting like a jerk, but slowly they began to get each other. His acid remarks had died down, being replaced by actually helpful insights; his always raised guard had lowered just a bit and she got the briefest glimpses of who he was besides just the 'evil demon' she'd assumed him to be.

Caroline started enjoying having him around, appreciating the way he wouldn't take any of her shit just as much as he adored how she wouldn't let him walk all over her. They fought and frustrated each other, he hit every single one of her nerves, but she felt herself hoping that he would linger a little longer after they were done planning for the day. More often than not, he did.

And when she'd thought she'd been freeing him, that she'd never see him again, it had hurt. Even when she'd still been upset that they'd slept together, that she'd so freely given some part of herself to him, she'd been sad to watch him go… Unwilling to let him stay away.

Caroline had thought Klaus felt the same when he started to show up again – at her favourite café, offering to buy her coffee; at her door with dimples on display and tickets to the theatre – and the times he didn't, she would call him. She couldn't bring herself to stop seeing him even if she sometimes felt too weak to resist him, even if she gave him more and more of herself.

And then she finally found out that she hadn't actually freed him and that he wasn't even sure if it was possible to unbind them, and the most insecure and selfish parts of her had felt _glad,_ because at least he wouldn't leave her the way everyone else always did. (She buried those feeling deep down and still gave him shit for having lied to her, but hadn't made herself truly push him away. Another mistake.)

But he should've left or she should've made him leave, because he made her vulnerable, made her enjoy her vulnerability around him. She gave and gave, but she wasn't sure she was getting anything in return. Wasn't that the picture of an unhealthy relationship?

And of course she knew that in some level Klaus cared… She just didn't want to be one of his prized possessions, something he owned and could exert power over. She wasn't a _thing._ Even if the thought of being his didn't always feel so appalling to her.

If only she could be certain that he would be hers in return.

Then she wouldn't have to let him go.

XXX

" _Caroline?" he called, his voice softer than she'd ever heard before._

 _She kept her focus on her feet, her grip on the sheets covering her chest tightening, even if she had her back turned to him, even if her nakedness had nothing to do with how bare she felt._

 _His long fingers touched her upper arm and she wished she'd winced, but his touch could still calm her down and she hated it, hated how much she'd come to rely on him these past few months._

" _Look at me," Klaus commanded, but mercifully her body didn't respond. He wouldn't give up this easily, though, and she wasn't surprised when she felt his body getting closer to hers, felt his gentle grip on her chin as he forced her to meet his gaze._

 _His eyes were worried as they scanned her face, seeking something and she wasn't sure what he would find there, wasn't even sure what she was truly feeling about what had happened._

 _And then his features softened and he sighed. "You kissed me, remember?"_

 _Caroline let out a bitter laugh at that. Did he think she needed a reminder of what had happened? Did he think it made it easier for her to know that she'd started it?_

" _I'm well aware, thanks."_

 _He frowned. "Then what is wrong? I can't understand why-"_

" _Because I just gave part of my soul to a demon!" she blurted out. It'd been a long time since she'd called him 'a demon' as something close to an insult and she could tell that it'd hurt him._

 _Caroline just wanted him to say that no, she hadn't given her soul to just a demon. She'd given it to him, to Klaus. The man she knew, the man she cared for._

 _Instead, his lips curved into a vicious smile. "Yes, you tasted delicious, love," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her against him, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "But that's not quite the reason you are upset, is it? It's not that you gave me a bit of your soul, but how good it felt to do it. And worse than that, how you can't help but want to do it again."_

 _Her breath hitched when he bit her earlobe, but she still forced herself to ask, "Is that part of your magic?"_

 _Klaus pulled back to look into her eyes, shaking his head. "I'm afraid that's all on you, sweetheart… Well, on us, I suppose."_

 _His grin was almost boyish as he began to kiss her neck, she allowed herself to rest her body against his as he moved to settle against the pillows, though her shoulders remained tense. "What does it truly mean? The whole 'you now own some of my soul' thing."_

 _Klaus didn't look surprised by the question, taking a moment to smile at how anxious she looked with her lower lip caught between her teeth. "All demons are powered by the souls they take, it's what feed us, in a way of speaking. There are different ways one can take a soul… When someone sells them in exchange for something they crave or when they die without fulfilling their debts, for instance. Others prefer a more violent approach. My brother Kol particularly enjoys murder and blood rituals."_

 _She resisted the urge to ask more about his family, since he never offered her any details about them, choosing to focus on the matter at hand. "But you're an incubus, so you prefer fucking people to get their souls," she concluded, sitting up from her place against his arms to look at him._

 _He laughed at that, reaching to tug at one of her curls. "That's not the way I'd put it."_

 _Caroline rolled her eyes. "How would you put it then?"_

" _Seduction." The heat in his eyes made her lower belly tighten with arousal despite her better judgement. "I enjoy convincing people to give their souls to me, to entice them until they invite me to their bed and then make them enjoy themselves in such ways that they will gladly give me what I want."_

 _She'd always known he loved the challenges, loved to conquer._

" _So that's what this is?" she asked, her voice a bit colder._

 _Klaus sat up as well, leaning in until his mouth was a hairsbreadth away from hers. "This is about a feisty blonde witch who has been testing my sanity ever since we've met, who is as cruel as she's beautiful."_

" _Cruel?"_

 _He smiled, adoring the way she blushed for him. "Yes, cruel. Is there another word to describe the woman who will kiss me one moment and then pretend nothing happened on the next, the woman who will come with my name on her lips while riding her fingers when she knows I'm in the next room? I don't think so, love. You have tortured me for two months, but now that I've had you and found out just how addictive you are…"_

" _No more pieces of my soul until you explain everything to me!"_

 _All she knew was that her soul would be used to give him his magic and witches created all sorts of horror stories as to what happened to whoever slept with a demon, just to try and make it more difficult to those they considered to be their natural enemies to gain power. But she wanted to know the truth._

 _Klaus looked pleased at the implied meaning that he could have more of her after he'd explained everything, even if he knew that was not was she'd truly meant. "I took an infinitesimal part of your soul, not enough to truly make a difference to you, but enough to satisfy my hunger, to fuel my powers."_

" _And what if you took a lot?" she pressed._

" _No witch has ever let it go so far that something bad happened to them," he said. "I am not sure what would be the consequences for someone losing too much of their soul."_

" _And if you took it all?"_

 _She knew the answer before he'd replied, "Probably it'd be the same as you selling your soul in a deal. You'd belong to me."_

' _Mine', he'd said not an hour ago. Was that what he truly wanted?_

 _Caroline wondered if she should feel scared._

* * *

There was something satisfying about watching the blood spill from each cut on that man's body. Klaus liked the screams, of course, but it was always the blood that he enjoyed the most.

He was doing a careless work of cutting the man, just pressing the knife against whatever piece of skin he came across and dragging it until the blood began to spill. That was the beauty of torturing someone who was already dead: you didn't have to worry about ending it too quickly if he bled out too fast. In fact, you could find an artery and watch him bleed out only to reanimate him a second later, and then repeat the process for all of eternity if that's what you wanted to do.

It wasn't what he had in mind, though.

He wanted him to feel pain for a long time before he had to be reanimated, wanted to drag this little torture session for as long as he could.

The man had dared hurt his witch; he would be paying for that crime for quite a while.

Klaus didn't care if she hadn't been terribly harmed or if her wounds had been easily healed. He wouldn't allow anyone to touch her.

Truth be told, he wasn't sure if he was angrier with the man or with himself for not having noticed that his client had thrown a vial of vervain potion in her direction, for not having immediately realized she'd gotten hurt. For having brought her along in the first place.

He only did it because he enjoyed the look on her face whenever they went somewhere new (and because he'd wanted to take her to this café in Seattle and watch her eyes lit up when she tried the pastries he'd recommend), and it wasn't in his nature to do things for free.

 _And yet, yesterday you healed her without asking for anything in return,_ a voice in the back of his mind reminded.

Yes, a sign of weakness. A sign that he cared for her more than he should… He wasn't used to letting anyone in and he didn't know what to do now that she lived under his skin.

It was a different kind of torture, he thought grimly as he made another cut across that man's sternum.

Caroline thought she'd gotten the worst part of the deal because he could take her soul… She didn't seem to understand that she had his heart on her hands, didn't realize the power that she had over him.

It'd been so foolish of him to allow himself to care for the girl, to think of her as anything other than a warm body to spend the night with, a soul to feed on… But he couldn't help it.

She'd come into his life in a way that should've made him hate her, that should've made him want her to be a corpse at his feet. And then she'd said she would need him to help her bring down one of the most ancient lines of wizards in America to save her friends and he'd almost laughed, except he'd seen the determination in her gaze, the cold calculation in her eyes.

He'd been curious about her.

He'd tried to intimidate her and she'd been scared, but had refused to back down. He'd pushed her limits and ended up on his knees, his head throbbing. Not many witches would've dared do that. None of them would've lived after such disrespect, but her strength had surprised him.

Klaus came to respect her.

She was intelligent, he could tell. The rough draft of her plan wasn't half bad, but they'd have to be smart and patient for it to actually work, to think of every last detail – it'd taken him awhile to realize that 'she' had become 'they'.

And every day he spent in her presence became less and less of an obligation. He began to crave the smiles he'd steal from her, the excitement in her eyes whenever they made progress, the bloodthirstiness in her voice as they discussed revenge. Even the times she frustrated him and they fought, when she'd refuse to agree with him and wouldn't allow him to take charge of how things were done.

She was stubborn and controlling and so was he and whenever they had an argument, he could never be sure if he wanted her dead or naked underneath him.

And then she started allowing him in. Slowly. Cautiously. But he was amazed by everything he found out about her, she would never stop surprising him… He'd started to drop his own guard. Just a mention of his family every once in awhile, stories from his past that made her laugh.

He wasn't sure she knew just how strange it was for him to sit on a couch and just talk about regular things, but he found himself enjoying doing it with her.

Then she'd started allowing him to touch her – just chaste brushes of his fingers against her arms, but the intimacy in those moments electrified his every nerve. He'd never known you could be addicted to the feel of someone's skin beneath your hand.

It was almost as good as the feel of her lips against his, as the taste of her mouth as she let him explore every inch of it.

But nothing could ever compare to how it felt to be inside her, to have her whisper his name as he took her. And when she was so lost in pleasure that she'd given him that little piece of her soul… Feeding had never been this satisfying.

He didn't think he could ever want anything other than her. He wanted her more than he thought he could want something; he couldn't afford to lose her.

And to think that he'd almost had that night at the Salvatores… The brothers' screams could still be heard echoing down his hallways. No one would ever take her from him. He would make an example out of all of those who tried.

Seeing her hurt, being reminded of her human fragility unnerved him. It made him want to claim her, to take everything until every last part of her was his. Then he would be able to bring her to his home, to keep her with him forever.

It was what had driven him to kiss her last night, the need to have her and keep her safe. She would be mad at him, he had no doubt of that. He'd betrayed their arrangement and that would make her rethink things… It wouldn't matter in the long run, he'd take care of it.

Caroline would be his for all of eternity.

Even if it scared him to know that he was willing to be hers as well, if that's what it took.

* * *

" _Hi," Caroline said a bit shyly. It made him smile._

 _He was surprised to see her there; he definitely hadn't expected her to be the one summoning him. "Hello, love. To what do I owe the pleasure?"_

 _She opened and closed her mouth twice, making him smirk at the thought of her not having a real reason to have called him, that she'd just wanted him around… But she surprised him once again by saying, "There's this new restaurant across from here and everyone's been saying it's really good, so I thought we could try it? I mean, I owe you from last week."_

 _He'd taken her to dinner in a fancy place, and, though this wouldn't be quite the same, she figured they could be even. Plus, maybe she'd missed him just a little._

 _Klaus was smiling as he took a few steps towards her, invading her personal space. "You do realize you've summoned me, don't you, little witch?"_

 _Caroline snorted. He only called her that when he was trying to annoy her, so she crossed her arms in front of her body, refusing to give him the satisfaction of even acknowledging it._

" _Obviously."_

 _He smirked, tucking one of her curls behind her ear. "And you are aware that now we have to make a bargain?"_

 _Her breath hitched as her body began to think of all the possibilities. Her traitorous eyes dared look at his lips. "A bargain? I'm already paying for dinner, shouldn't that be enough?"_

 _Klaus shook his head. "You're doing that because you want to. Not as payment… Shall we negotiate?"_

 _She sighed, "What do you want? Be reasonable, because I'm not having sex with-"_

" _A kiss."_

" _Oh." She blushed, not really having anticipated him saying that. "Ok."_

 _A kiss was easy; it didn't have to be complicated or meaningful. Except that he always made her heart beat a bit faster whenever he was around and that he felt desperate for another taste of her._

 _Nothing was ever uncomplicated. There were always strings attached._

" _It's a deal," he said, and they both felt his magic spread through them, making their bodies warmer._

 _Caroline moved closer to him, cupping his cheek with one of her hands. He stayed still, letting her take her time, letting her be in charge for once, even if only temporarily._

 _His eyes were dark as they looked into hers, full of lust and something else she wasn't sure she wanted to analyse too closely. She could tell the moment he stopped breathing as she leaned in, could feel how he shuddered when their noses brushed, but when their mouths met, that was all she could focus on._

 _His tongue traced the seam of her lips, requesting entrance more politely than in any other kiss they'd shared before. And when she granted it, it took its sweet time exploring the inside of her mouth, tracing the back of her teeth, tasting her._

 _She was vaguely aware of the feel of his hands on her hips, of the feel of his hair entangled on her fingers._

 _Caroline only pulled back when her lungs were aching, but she still stayed closed; her hands around his neck and his on her waist. She could see his reddened and swollen lips, the heat in his gaze._

 _And then suddenly he took a step back, reaching inside his pocket and then handing her a card._

 _She frowned, "What's this?"_

" _My phone number," he explained, smiling at her dumbfounded expression. "This way you won't have to summon me every time you want to take me on a date."_

" _I didn't know evil demons had phones!" she teased. "What? Do your minions text you 'hey boss, tortured 3 and doomed a soul today!' or something?"_

 _He laughed as they headed towards the door, offering her his arm, which she promptly took. "Something like that, sweetheart."_

 _Klaus was particularly satisfied by how she forgot to deny that was a date._

* * *

"Hello, Caroline," he said, leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, startling her.

She cursed as she dropped the glass she'd been holding, though his magic prevented it from ever hitting the floor, making it float back to the safety of the counter. "Oh, my God, Klaus! I thought we'd agreed not to do that!"

"If I remember correctly, you ordered me not to scare you again, but I don't think I ever agreed to it."

Caroline glared at him as she poured water for herself. "What do you want?" she asked and, though she'd meant it to sound irritated, he could see how tired she looked.

"To see how you were doing," he explained, gesturing to her hand, his eyes pausing on it

She inspected it too, glancing at her fingers as if to make sure everything was truly ok. "I'm fine. Whatever that was, it seems you've healed it completely."

Klaus nodded, but took a few steps closer to her anyway, an outstretched arm in her direction, his palm turned up in a request. "May I?"

She rolled her eyes at him, but placed her hand on top of his anyway, ignoring the sparks that ignited within her. She figured she should probably be used to it by now, but his smallest of touches always made her heart race.

He seemed oblivious to his effects on her (though she knew he truly wasn't), simply analysing her skin, thoroughly looking for any anomaly. "No wounds anywhere else? Have you felt pain or experienced discomfort?"

"I'm fine, Klaus," she repeated herself, yanking her hand back.

She needed to put some space between them before his concerned look made her change her mind. She hated how just being around him made her hesitant to carry her plan, how afraid she was to let him go.

So she distanced herself from the demon, striding past him to walk into the living room. He would follow her, but he wouldn't be touching her, wouldn't be looking at her like she was the most precious thing in the universe.

"What are these?" he asked as soon as they left the kitchen, frowning as he looked at all the grimoires spread on top of the table. Her heart skipped a beat. "Anything interesting?"

He knew something was wrong when she didn't meet his eyes, her gaze focused on the books. "Yes, actually," she said, looking down for just a moment before she straightened her spine. "I'm trying to unbind us."

Klaus clenched his teeth as he let the words sink in. He'd known she wouldn't take kindly to what he'd done last night, but he hadn't thought she would try to push him away. He'd thought she was well aware that wasn't a possibility.

"What?"

"I- This needs to stop!" she exclaimed, finally meeting his gaze. "You've already taken too much!"

His eyes became colder than she'd ever seen them.

Caroline couldn't honestly say she was scared of him, but when he took a step in her direction, she took a step back. Something about the way he carried himself made him look like a predator, and her instincts told her to run even if her brain refused being prey.

Her back hit the wall and all she could do was wait until he was upon her, close enough that his chest almost touched her breasts. She wished more than anything that he didn't have the ability to make her breath catch no matter what the situation.

"Too much?" he shook his head. "No, I don't think I've taken nearly enough, Caroline. What do you think it'll happen if you unbind us, little witch? Do you think I'll just let you go? That I'll give you up this easily?"

She scoffed, refusing to back down. "I'm not some _thing_ that you can have, Klaus!"

"Not a thing," he agreed. "But you can own people too."

Her breath was caught in her throat, a tremble ran through her body. "Is that what you want?" she asked. Klaus didn't reply, only looking at in that way that always left her feeling bare in front of him, like he could truly _see_ her. "What's that even supposed to mean?"

"It has nothing to do with your soul, if that's what you're asking," he answered. The heat coming from his body was distracting her, but she didn't want to just give into him, didn't want to believe in his words. Even if part of her already did.

"Then what is it?" she pressed, raising her chin to look into his eyes, hating that she leaned into his touch when he cupped her cheek, that she closed her eyes for just a second to enjoy the way his thumb caressed her skin.

"I want you. All of you. Not just your soul, not just your body… I want everything, Caroline. I want you to be mine."

Such a pretty picture, she thought. It wasn't fair that he could say things like that when she'd just decided that she would let him go, when she'd chosen to move on and stop playing this dangerous game with him.

Now Caroline wasn't sure if she wanted to push him away or to pull him for a kiss.

"What if I want you to be mine?" she asked, almost as a challenge, part of her nearly hoping that it would drive him away, that he would be the one brave enough to leave.

He swallowed, looking conflicted as he stared into her eyes, seeking something she wasn't sure what it was. Caroline prepared herself for how it would feel when he pulled his hand back from cupping her face, when he slowly distanced himself from her.

Instead, he nodded. "That can be arranged."

Her eyes were opened almost comically wide, her lips parted. It made him grin at her as he used his free hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, and, slowly, a smile spread across her own face. If he'd known that assuring her that she could have him would earn him that smile, he would've done it much earlier.

Klaus closed all distance between them, crushing his body against hers, until all that separated them was a hairsbreadth between their lips.

He hovered there for a few moments, still giving her the chance to stop him. He wanted this to be her choice, wanted her to understand that she could stop pushing him away whenever she got scared, that she could trust him.

Meanwhile, her heart and her brain were raging war inside her. She'd been taught all of her life not to believe in him, but she wanted more than anything for his words to be true. She wanted to be his and she wanted him to be hers. She wanted him never to leave.

Perhaps she was selfish, but then again, so was he.

And in the end, fighting for rationality when it came to him had always been a lost cause. Her mind didn't put up a worthy fight.

So she leaned in just an inch – that was all it took for her to declare her choice and brush her lips against his.

* * *

 **Please let me know what you thought of this chapter :)**


	4. so I stayed in the darkness with you

**WARNING: smut with light bondage.**

* * *

 _"Then I heard your heart beating_  
 _You were in the darkness too_  
 _So I stayed in the darkness with you"_

 _Cosmic Love - Florence and the Machine_

* * *

There was something about the way he kissed her that always made every inch of her skin ignite. She wasn't sure if it was the way his tongue explored her mouth, how intimately he got know her lips, or if it was just him. His touch, the little noises he made on the back of his throat, the way he'd move closer and closer to her, until there was no distance between them.

It drove away all of her insecurities and fears, as it always did. Because _this…_ No matter how hard or fucked up everything else was, this always felt right.

Klaus swiftly lifted her up with his hands behind her thighs, helping her wrap her legs around his waist as he took them to her bedroom, their mouths never parting. She enjoyed the feel of his calloused palms against her bare skin, the way his fingers crept under her skirt, digging into the flesh of her ass.

She felt herself flushing when he dropped her unceremoniously on the bed, his heated gaze burning her skin as he moved to be on top of her. There was something dangerous in the way his eyes flashed yellow for just a second, and she wasn't sure they were carrying a promise or a threat. With him, more often than not, these walked hand in hand.

Caroline drew in a sharp breath as he leaned in to kiss her neck, finding her pulse point in a matter of second and lingering there until she was panting. She felt him smirking against her skin, letting how she reacted to everything he did fuel his ego.

She wished she could be more immune to him, but any hope for that was gone the moment his hand trailed up her inner thighs, ghosting just over where she wanted him.

"Klaus…" she moaned softly as he pressed a finger against her clit through her knickers, her chest moving up and down rapidly as she tried to fight down the urge to squeeze her thighs.

He pulled back to look at her then, his lips curving as he watched her.

 _A threat,_ she thought, _it was definitely a threat behind his eyes._

"Strip for me?" he asked, sitting back on his calves to give her more room.

For a moment, she debated her options, wondering what he would do if she said no, if he'd torture her with his touches, bring her close to the edge and then refuse to offer her any relief… It was not what she wanted now, though. She wanted to drive him mad, wanted to hear his soft praises and see the satisfaction in his eyes when she followed his orders.

So she gathered her skirt in her fists, quickly removing her dress and tossing it on the floor. Klaus was still looking at her expectantly, so she reached to her back to unhook her bra, shrugging it off her before sliding her knickers down her legs.

He'd seen her naked many times by her, but he still looked at her uncovered body with such admiration… like he'd never seen anyone more beautiful. And the desire in his eyes, the way his gaze worshipped every inch of her, was still enough to make her blush.

"Lie down, sweetheart" he requested, voice full of desire, and she quickly did so, resting her head against the pillows and staring at the ceiling as she tried to calm her nerves, her breathing still visibly too quick. Klaus loomed over her, though, his long fingers gripping her chin to make her look at him. "I want you to say it, Caroline."

"Say what?" she asked, confused.

He swallowed, his eyes displaying an uncharacteristic amount of insecurity. "That you'll be mine."

Caroline's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that, had thought he'd take the fact that she'd kissed him, that she was allowing him in her bed, as an answer. But she should've known, she thought, he liked having her tell him the things that were on her mind, the things she desired… Of course he'd want her to tell him that as well.

This was harder than confessing her fantasies, though than confiding him with her fears… She wanted him, she did. But she was nervous to say the words.

This felt like signing a contract, like making one of his bargains… This was their fucked up love confession.

Klaus waited patiently for her, but she could sense his discomfort, his fear that she would think too much about it now and change her mind. Somehow, even if she was naked underneath him, he seemed to be more vulnerable.

It made her feel more confident to know that he was afraid too, made the words stuck in her throat find their way past her lips.

"I am yours if you are mine."

Her heart began to beat faster inside her chest, even as she stared into his eyes with determination. This was non-negotiable and she knew how much he liked to negotiate.

But Klaus's eyes were filled with relief and he just nodded once. He wouldn't say the words and she wouldn't make him. It was enough for her if he knew it, if he acted like it. He wasn't used to being owned, she doubted he'd ever felt like he'd belonged to anyone before, but they'd figure it out.

Caroline couldn't help but beam at him, her smile spreading across her face slowly, until it finally reached her eyes.

He leaned in, his nose brushing against hers, and he smiled too. "Mine."

She nodded. "Yours."

This time it felt easier to say it, it felt good to say it. She wanted to be his, wanted to be sure that this wouldn't end. The butterflies in her stomach flew happily at the thought that wanted that too.

But when he kissed her, the pressure in her lower belly had nothing to do with butterflies.

His hands began exploring her body, starting from her hips and sliding up until they found her breasts, his thumbs caressing her nipples. A tremble went through her body and she arched into him, pressing her breasts against his palms. Her own hands went to the hem of his shirt, wanting to feel his skin against hers.

Klaus pulled back the second she touched him, shaking his head. Caroline knew exactly where this was headed.

"I want to touch you," she protested, making him smile.

"Later," he promised as he gently grabbed her wrists, moving them so they'd be together above her head. When he let go of them, she still felt a light pressure keeping them there, product of his magic. "I'll make it worth your while."

Caroline's eyes lit with excitement at that and he chuckled. "Well, then… Prove to me that being yours was the right choice," she said, suddenly remembering her dream from a couple of nights ago.

Klaus gave her a feline smile and she knew she had struck a chord. "Oh, I'll prove it to you, little witch. Now, stay just like that. Don't move, yes?"

Whatever clever taunt she'd been planning to say died at her throat as he leaned in to capture one of her nipples with his lips, sucking on the sensitive bud until she whimpered. She tried to close her thighs, her pussy needing some friction, but he used his hands to stop her, putting his leg in between hers. She immediately grinded against him, but that just made him stop and he gave her a chastened look.

"You seem to be having trouble controlling yourself, sweetheart. Do I need to bind your pretty legs?"

She shook her head, knowing very well that he wasn't one to make empty threats. Klaus took that for an answer, lowering his head to let his tongue play with the breast he'd neglected.

Caroline felt his magic brush down the side of her body, tracing her hipbone before it changed its route to tease the skin just below her belly button. If she looked down, she would've seen tendrils of darkness caressing her body, but she just closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of everything he was doing to her.

Unconsciously, she fought against the magic that bound her wrists together, needing more, needing to touch him. Klaus smiled against the curve of her breast, even as he snarled, "Be patient."

It was a difficult thing to do when her skin was up in flames and he was only teasing her more and more. Arousal was slickening her inner thighs, she felt shivers running down her spine at his smallest touches… She needed him to stop torturing her.

Thankfully, he seemed to be feeling merciful that day, and she gasped as he started to kiss his way down her abdomen. His teeth teased her skin, his lips stole her breath, his tongue made her eyes roll to the back of her head. He licked his way from her hipbone towards her belly button, pressing light kisses on that patch of skin.

Caroline almost asked him to release her wrists only so she could grip onto the sheets, to alleviate her frustration at not having anything touch her core.

He gently spread her thighs further apart, his hands trailing up them until they were close to where she wanted them. It wasn't enough. "Klaus…" she moaned, a plead.

Klaus slid his hands to the back of her thighs, lifting her up slightly as he positioned himself in-between her legs, taking a moment to take her in just like that – naked and flushed and wanting him.

He allowed himself a second to smile at her. This was perhaps the moment he loved the most, having her this unguarded, trusting him, needing him. Or at least it was a close second to having her scream his name.

Eager to make that happen, he dove his head, getting close enough to give her pussy a long lick. She immediately bucked her hips against him, and he groaned, using his magic to pin her down to the bed. It seemed that his witch had forgotten how to play nice… It didn't matter, he'd remind her later. Right now he wanted to hear her.

He easily found her clit, wrapping his lips around it and sucking. Caroline arched her back, struggling against her bounds once more. He had the half mind to free her hands to watch her play with her breasts, but he decided not to, using his magic again to teaser her nipples, like his fingers were pinching them.

"Please don't stop," she begged, looking at him with lust-filled eyes that mirrored his own.

He had no plans to stop, not until he had tasted her.

Klaus flicked his tongue against her clit once more before he slid it inside her, his thumb taking its place to work on the sensitive bud. She looked so beautiful like this, panting for him, his name falling from her lips among her moans.

"This feels so good," Caroline praised, feeling the pressure on her lower belly increase each time he rubbed her clit, with each movement of his tongue inside her. And the way he looked at her, the way he enjoyed pleasuring her… It was all too much.

She came, crying out his name as her body relaxed against the mattress and he tongue-fucked her through her high, making a small noise of satisfaction as he tasted her.

"Was that worth your while, sweetheart?" Klaus asked, licking his lips.

Caroline nodded, not trusting herself to speak just yet. He grinned at her, moving to kiss her, his tongue tasting slightly salty.

The pressure on her wrists vanished, and she immediately took that moment to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to him as her hand gripped his hair. He let her this time, starting to remove his own pants.

"Do you have any idea what it's like for me to hear you moan because of me? To whisper my name when you come? I don't think you know how easily you can drive me mad, little witch. Do you have any idea how much I want you? How torturous this past year has been for me, not being able to have you?"

"It's not like we didn't have sex before," she said as she dragged his Henley up his torso, taking the opportunity to feel his abdomen against her palms.

Klaus shook his head as soon as she'd tossed his shirt on the floor, his pants following suit. "We have only just begun," he told her. "I'll only have had you when I know your body more intimately than anyone else, when I have memorised every place I have to touch you to make you gasp, when I am the only you crave in your bed, my touch the only touch you want. I want to engrave myself on your skin, Caroline."

She nodded weakly, but her insecurities slipped out of her mouth anyway. "And once you've had me? Then what?"

Klaus smiled. "You seem to be under the impression that there is a way out, that one day I'll let you walk away… You are mine, love. I'm not ever letting you go."

Caroline wondered if she should feel confined by his words, trapped with him, but all she could do was say, "And I'm not ever letting _you_ go."

"I'm counting on it."

He kissed her again. She wondered how he could be so sure of everything, but her mind didn't dwell on it much longer when she felt his hardened cock against her thigh, the thin fabric of his briefs the only barrier between them.

His hands were everywhere again: her breasts, her torso, her thighs… Exploring her, _memorising_ her, as he had just claimed he wanted to do. His lips were against hers, then finding a path to her jaw, down the column of her throat.

Caroline reached out to grab him through his briefs, making his groan against her collarbone before she slipped her hand inside his underwear to touch his cock. She wrapped her hand around him, stroking once, twice. Klaus rested his forehead against her shoulder, just enjoying the way she touched him.

He never let it last for long, and this time it was no different. He simply grabbed her wrists, tugging her hand away before he got rid of briefs. Caroline looked at him expectantly, a certain thrill building inside of her as she awaited his next order.

Klaus smirked at her as he began to stroke his cock, the image of him making her lick her lips. She wondered if he'd touch himself until he came on her skin, marked her with scent. It seemed like something he would like to do.

Instead, he said, "Hands and knees, Caroline."

She quickly obliged, anticipation building inside of her fast as she spread her legs for him, her head pressed against the pillow.

He was on his knees behind her, his fingers tracing the curve of her ass as he teased her, before they found their way to her pussy, making sure she was wet for him as he slipped two of them inside it, thrusting them in her a couple of times.

"You look so beautiful like this, my love," he praised, the possessive term making her clench around him. "With your legs spread for me, practically dripping. Do you want me to fuck you, Caroline?"

"Yes," she said, a little breathless because of the way his fingers were working inside her.

He hummed in agreement, "Tell me."

"I- Fuck, Klaus," Caroline cursed when he began to rub her clit. "I want you to fuck me."

She could hear the smile on his voice when he teased, "Am I not fucking you now?"

"With your cock. I want you to fuck me with your cock," she said. "I want you inside me, please."

Normally, he would make her beg more for him, torture her more, but she suspected he was being so merciful because she'd accepted to be his and so, when he pulled his fingers back, her protests were short-lived, for soon she felt him press his cock against her entrance, taking just a moment to tease her folds before he slid in.

The pillows muffled her gasp as he filled her, her walls stretching around him. He never would get over the feeling of having her like this, of feeling her around him, hearing her breathing quicken… He loved how much she wanted him.

"You feel so good, sweetheart," he said as he began to move, deliberately slow so he could have her asking for what she truly wanted. Klaus loved hearing her voice her desires, loved coaxing every sinful thought from her. "I love how eager you are to have me, how quickly you spread your legs for me."

He wrapped his arm around her waist to secure her while his other hand went to find her clit, circling it lightly in a way that made her cry out. "I need more!" she complained. "Fuck me faster, _please_."

Even without looking, she knew that he was smirking, but she didn't care one bit as he complied with her wishes, his thrusts becoming rougher. She could hear his balls hitting her skin with every move.

Klaus began to rub her clit as he began to feel her open up to him, as he began to feed from her. He could never decide what was better: the feeling of fucking her until she couldn't walk straight or this… Knowing that she was so lost in pleasure that all of her defences slipped away, that she allowed him to take everything.

His eyes turned yellow as he fed, his human façade slipping as he allowed his true nature to show through. She was addictive and perfect and he just wanted to have all of her – he would have all of her. She was his.

"Perfect," he praised, angling his hips to thrust a little deeper inside of her. He could see her hands grasping the pillows, the white in her knuckles showing. "Agreeing to be mine, letting me fuck you like this… You are so beautiful, sweetheart."

His fingers worked on her clit with the same rhythm as his thrusts, his words were a sweet caress to her… She came. The pillows were not enough to muffle the sound of his name.

He held her as he kept fucking her through her orgasms, feeling her body relax against his hold. This was one of his favourite things in the world: the moment she let go, that she gave into him completely.

It drove him off the edge, making him spill inside of her, claiming her. His breath was ragged as he laid down, pulling her to him.

She loved staying there in his embrace as they took a moment to come down from their highs, loved the way he stroked her hair and she could feel his heart beating against her ear.

Klaus cupped her jaw, making her look up at him to see the smile on his face as he said, "Mine."

The word has scared her once, but now she welcomed it. She smiled too. "Yours."

Caroline moved, propping herself up on her elbows so that her face would be hovering just above his, their noses brushing as she reminded him, "Mine."

He pulled her for a brief, tender kiss and nodded. Yes, he was hers. He'd been probably since the moment he'd first seen her.

So they stayed in each other's arms, stealing touches and planning for a future that they were now sure would come.

* * *

" _I was feeling weird before you showed up…" she began with a bit of uncertainty, her head resting on his shoulder, it was easier if she didn't look at him. She was trying not to think too much about the fact that she once again had given in to him, but something weird was going on, she knew it. "And I felt good after you appeared. Did you do something to me?"_

 _Caroline felt her heart beating faster as she waited for him to answer. She didn't want to believe that he'd used his magic against her like that, but she couldn't help it. He'd showed up just when she began feeling in so much pain she could barely think, and then the moment he appeared in front of her, it was like she could breathe again._

 _She had clung to him because of relief and because she'd missed him… She was used to seeing him almost every day and spend hours with him, but for the past weeks he'd been busy with hunting some old client and had only stopped by for brief visits every couple of days._

 _Things seemed to escalate too quickly with him though, and when she realized, she was already pulling him to her, kissing him and saying to hell with all consequences._

 _Now she wondered if there was something else involved in her recklessness._

" _So you haven't figured it out yet, little witch?" Klaus asked amusedly, making her feel confused._

" _What are you talking about?"_

 _He moved from underneath her, making her head fall back onto the pillow as he loomed over her. "I make sure I stop by every couple of days, no matter how busy I am. I spent a little longer away and you feel pain that eases as soon as I get back… What do you think this is, Caroline?"_

 _Her eyes widened. Confusion, anger, hurt and relief all crashed over her. "The spell."_

 _Klaus nodded, "It's impossible to be broken, as far as I know. My lovely mother made sure of that."_

" _Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice biting and demanding._

 _He shrugged, amusement still dancing in his eyes. "At first, because I wasn't sure what I was going to do about it. I thought about killing you," he said, tracing the curve of her left breast, smirking when he felt her heart racing. "Of course, the spell prevents me from doing so directly, but there are other ways. You don't have to be scared, love, clearly I've decided against that. You are far too interesting to die just yet... And then I didn't tell you because, well, there's value in secrets. Why should I tell you one for free?"_

 _In her head, she thought of how characteristic this was of him, always seeing the price in things, never doing anything free of charge. In his, he was just hoping she wouldn't figure out that he'd done it to get to know her without her thinking he was doing it because of a spell._

" _Then why are you telling me now?" Caroline challenged._

 _His eyes turned cold, his hand stilling in-between her breasts. "Because I don't like you implying that I am using my magic to make you sleep with me."_

 _She didn't apologize. Demons weren't to be trusted, as he clearly had just proven to her._

" _So we are bound together? And it's impossible to undo this? I don't believe you."_

 _Klaus shrugged, his finger resuming its movements to trail across her collarbone. "Waste your time researching a way to do it, if you want to. You were the one who put us into this mess in the first place, perhaps you should find a way to gets us out of it."_

 _Caroline knew he was lashing out because he was angry about what she'd implied, but she refused to show guilt or remorse, so she just yanked his hand away from her and said, "Well, if you had told me that we were still on this mess, then I would've been working on it already! But don't worry, I will find a way to make sure that we never have to see each other again."_

 _He smiled at that. "Is that so? How many times have you called me to come visit this past month? Didn't you go as far as summoning me to ask me on a date?"_

 _She blushed, but refused to back down, "That was because of the spell!"_

 _Klaus shook his head. "The spell makes us unable to spend too long apart and stops me from killing you. It was designed to keep me as prisoner, love. It has not effects on if the person who is imprisoning me enjoys spending their time with me. That's all on you… Is that what scares you?"_

" _What scares me is that I'm bound to a demon who doesn't have the decency to even tell me that! I thought we were friends!"_

 _His eyes lit up with mischief as he gave her naked body a pointed look, "Friends?"_

" _Get out," Caroline said, not wanting the reminder of what they'd done. "I can't look at you right now… Just go."_

 _Klaus nodded, a smile on his face. "Very well, then. I'll see you in a couple of days."_

 _He had the nerve to steal a kiss before he disappeared._

 _She hated that she'd let herself be tricked by him, hated that it'd taken her so long to see the truth. But most of all – she hated how glad she was that he wasn't going to leave her, that they would be together no matter what._

* * *

The following morning was spent with kisses and lazy thrusts of his hips, with smiles and affectionate looks… She forgot to freak out, forgot to even worry about yet another lost piece of her soul.

Caroline wondered if she should feel hollow every time he took some more, but she'd never felt more complete.

It felt good to have him in her life like this, to find him waiting in her apartment after she came back from her classes, how he'd take her to dinner anywhere she wanted in the world (he was still getting used to not charging for his favours, though, but she couldn't say she minded wrapping her lips around him until he fell apart from her touch).

Of course, Klaus, well… Klaus was still Klaus and he drove her mad and they fought and then he gave her mind-blowing orgasms. But at the end of the day, she wanted him by her side and she knew that he would be there.

Life with him was never predictable, but she would always have the certainty that he wouldn't walk away.

And the months that followed her decision to be with him were amazing and exciting… But she couldn't help but expect the other shoe to drop, so to speak. Things were never just good and just easy.

It happened one morning.

She was clothed in only his Henley as she slipped out of bed, going to the kitchen to drink her precious coffee, when she saw her flowers by the window. Most petals had already fallen, the once bright colours now dull and lifeless.

Caroline knew what that meant before she'd approached them.

She cultivated them with the help of her powers; it was a way to enhance her connection with nature, from where she drew her magic. And now that connection was gone.

Her fingers brushed down the stem of the plant, caressed the dirt, searching for the thread that connected all living things. There was nothing. That little buzz along her skin no longer existed.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Klaus said, oblivious to the panic that was rushing through her. This time, not even his voice or his presence managed to calm her down.

She took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving her flowers. "Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice suddenly on edge as he took quick steps towards her. He visibly relaxed when he saw it was just her plants. "Oh, your flowers are dying."

Caroline nodded, her hands shaking. "My flowers are dying," she repeated. "My magic is gone."

She could feel it deep inside her… There was nowhere to drawn her powers from, that part of her felt empty.

He froze. "What? That's not possible," he said, hurriedly grabbing her hand and she knew he was sensing for some sort of spell that could've been used against her. "I don't feel anything. Did you touch something in the house last night?"

She shook her head. They had gone to one of their missions, but she knew that wasn't the problem.

"You took too much."

She hadn't really meant it as an accusation, but he gripped her hand tighter, as if afraid she would pull it back.

Klaus's eyes were filled with concern and apprehension. "I never touched your magic."

"Only my soul," she joked humourlessly.

Her way of practicing magic had always been the traditional one, through her connection with nature, through her desire to keep the balance, the harmony. But she knew she was disturbing it now by just existing… A witch giving everything she was to a demon. That was not natural.

He stared at her, clearly at loss for words. "I'm-"

"Sorry?" she asked, snorting. "No, you're not."

Caroline wasn't sure _she_ was sorry.

Perhaps she should've wished she'd never bound them together in the first place, that she'd never gotten to know him and fall in love with him. Her magic had always been important to her, had always made her feel safe and more like herself… But she didn't want to go back to a life without him, always wondering if she was good enough, if she was ever going to be someone's first choice.

"There are other options," he reminded her softly, still holding her hand, unable to let go. "We do have two members of one of the most powerful witch lines in our custody… And they do bleed quite frequently."

Without meaning to, she smiled. She enjoyed how he referred to them as 'we', even if he was the one currently with the Salvatore brothers.

Her panic began to ebb away as he gave her a sense of direction as to what they could do next. Blood magic was frowned upon by most witches, but it was a way… And she did have access to powerful blood that would go to waste otherwise.

"Or…" Klaus continued, bringing her out from her thoughts. He was smirking at her, taking a step closer. He finally let go of her hand, but only to hold her hips as he pulled her flush against him.

She knew exactly what he was hinting at, knew exactly what solution he would prefer.

"Or?" Caroline challenged, arching her brows.

"Or you could finally accept your place by my side."

* * *

 _He'd never known such terror as to when he saw Damon Salvatore thrust that dagger into her stomach from across the room._

 _Klaus had never had to fear for someone else's life… Everyone he'd ever cared for was immortal, but she was only human._

 _It'd been stupid of him to let her in, to allow himself to get addicted to her smiles and her kisses and her quick wit. He should be glad if she were to die, because then he would be free._

 _But the horrified scream that the Bennett witch had let out mirrored the one stuck in his throat._

 _He should've convinced her to give up on this foolish idea to get her friends back. None of them were worthy of her._

 _He watched as Damon twisted the dagger before pulling it back, saw the shocked and pained expression on Caroline's face as she brought her hands to her wound, her shirt already soaking with blood._

 _She stumbled back, falling to her knees, but she still found it in her to raise her chin as she looked at him, waiting for the final blow with as much dignity as she could muster._

 _Such a brave little thing, Klaus thought, so stubborn and proud and magnificent._

 _He appeared by her side in the blink of an eye, though he forced his attention at the threat they were facing. The eldest Salvatore still stood there, dagger in hand, ready to attack._

 _It would be easy to just snap his neck. Klaus wouldn't even have to touch him to accomplish that… But it would be over all too quickly. He wanted to punish the man for having dared harm her. And he would._

 _He shattered the bones from his wrist, making him scream in pain as dropped the weapon. Damon had the good sense to look scared as he moved closer to him, his featured dangerously calm even when fire burned in his veins, demanding that man paid for what he'd done._

 _Klaus pressed him against the wall, holding him by his throat. The man tried to push him away, clawing at his hands, but it was pointless. "You will regret what you did to her."_

 _Damon was fighting for breath, his face turning red with the effort to draw in some oxygen, but Klaus was enjoying feeling his pulse weaken beneath his hands way too much._

 _Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Bonnie finally reach her friend, trying to use her magic to help her, but she was too weak from having spent weeks as prisoner to Salvatores._

 _Finally, Damon fell unconscious and Klaus dropped him to the ground. His brother had already been incapacitated by Caroline. They both would suffer, he decided._

" _What did you do?!" a horrified voice asked from the bottom of the stairs. The doppelganger._

 _She had refused to come with them, had justified the brothers' actions because they'd just been trying to keep her safe… She'd called them, saying that they would explain everything, but they'd just attacked._

 _And now Caroline was hurt._

 _His anger grew as the girl ran over to Damon, walking past her friends as if they were invisible._

" _Klaus-" Caroline called, her voice weak. He knew that it meant he wasn't supposed to hurt Elena even now… It was not a decision he was happy about, but hearing her brought him back to present and the pressing issue he had to deal with. The Bennett girl attempts to heal her were not working._

 _He knelt beside his witch, his eyes scanning her wounds._

 _Elena finally looked at Caroline and frowned. "Is she okay?"_

" _You have to help her," Bonnie said, ignoring the other girl, her eyes filled with tears. "Please, I'll make a bargain, I'll do anything. Just save her."_

" _Bonnie!" Caroline reprimanded, "Don't."_

 _She looked at him, then, her eyes almost challenging him not to help her. Things had gotten strange between since last night when they'd slept together. He wondered if she thought that he'd gotten her out of his system now, that he would let her die._

 _She was wrong, he thought, he just wanted her more._

 _So Klaus placed his hands on top of her injury and for the first time in his life he shuddered when the blood touched his skin. His eyes turned yellow as he allowed his powers to work on her, tending to her wounds._

 _Her breathing slowly became stronger as he healed her, her pulse steadier even if her heartbeats were still a bit slow due to the blood loss. Her eyes regained some of the life that had been fading away._

 _He pulled his hands back, watching her warily as she stood there staring at ceiling silently. Then she looked at him. "Thank you."_

 _Caroline started to move as if to sit up, but he was quicker. He held her down by her shoulders, his body hovering over hers as he moved to look close into her eyes. Bonnie gasped, taking on a fight stance, but he ignored her._

" _You will never put yourself in danger like this ever again. Do you understand me?"_

 _She looked surprised. He wasn't sure if it was because he was too close to her or because of his words, but it didn't matter. She blinked a few times, her eyes flicked to his lips for just a second, probably remembering the harm they'd done in a similar position._

" _Do you understand?" he asked again, his grip on her shoulders tightening._

 _Caroline nodded. He pulled back, his body still tense… He wasn't sure if he was ever going to be able to relax when she was so frail, so human._

 _In that moment, he decided that mortality was a disease and he needed to cure her from it._

* * *

"Having second thoughts?" he asked from behind her, putting his arm around her waist.

She rested her head against his shoulder, smiling. "Nope. Are you?"

Klaus pressed a kiss to her temple, his thumb sneaking up the hem of her shirt to draw circles onto her bare skin. "Never."

They were standing in the field where she'd first summoned him, waiting for the moon to reach its apex. She was pretty sure he thought it was poetic to turn her there.

Caroline stared at the pentagram drawn across the grass, the candles waiting to be burnt. She was nervous, but in a good, excited way. So much would change after that night.

They stood silently as he held her, having already discussed every detail at great length before. He had told her all about how good it felt to be powerful, without restrictions or rules, how liberating it felt to no longer be bound to the limitations of human ephemerality.

She wanted that, wanted to experience it with him.

Klaus hadn't stopped smiling ever since she'd agreed to this. He'd wanted her to do this for a while and had managed to convince her that this was the perfect solution for her to have magic once more. Even if it was a different kind.

He'd been a part of her life for a long time now, but he wanted her to be a part of his. He wanted to take her to his realm, to his home… To share eternity with her.

"It's time, sweetheart," he said, looking up to the moon and releasing his hold on her.

Caroline turned around to grin at him as she began to shed her jacket. He watched her with hungry eyes as she got rid of her shirt then unhooked her bra, shrugging it down her arms. She unbuttoned her pants, quickly dragging them down her legs alongside her thong.

Once she was fully naked, she walked until she was standing in the middle of the pentagram, swaying her hips a bit more than usual as if he needed further enticement.

Klaus looked at her, bathed by moonlight, her nipples pebbled against the chilly air. Such a lovely muse, he thought.

He took a few steps towards her so that he'd be standing right in front of her, trying to resists the urge to touch her. There'd be time for that later. Now he needed to focus.

The candles around them lit up the moment the moon reached its peak, shining directly above them. He gave her a sly smile as his irises turned yellow.

Klaus began to speak in an ancient language. She didn't understand what he said, but she felt her body responding to every word, her pulse quickening, skin buzzing with energy.

Then he reached out for her, tracing symbols onto her shoulder with his fingers, though when she looked down, she saw white glowing runes on her skin. He kept writing them everywhere, down her arms, her back, her legs, leaving her breathless with his caresses.

The marks became brighter as he kept on talking, his voice carrying power in a way she'd never seen before. It was contagious; she began feeling that power everywhere, humming against her, inside her, running through her veins. The flames around them also grew higher, as if hypnotized by what he said, following his every command.

She'd always known he was powerful, but this was the first time she felt it completely.

And then his words came to a halt, and the runes all over her body merged with her, leaving her skin glowing. The candles instantly died down.

Caroline took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she felt slightly dizzy for a moment. He immediately wrapped his arms around her to secure her. She didn't have to look to know that he was giving her a worried look.

But she didn't feel like she had anything to worry about. Not if he would be there.

And he would. They were trapped together, had been from their very first moment – first because of the binding spell, then because of their feelings and now… Now he had her soul. All of it, no bits and pieces. And she had his heart on the palm of her hand and the trust he had that she wouldn't crush it.

She opened her eyes to look at him. Her irises were yellow just like his.

* * *

 **So what did you think of this chapter/of the story in general? Any favourite lines or parts? I'd love to know!**


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